PAGE TWO
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1949
I _ _
Nation's Health
IN VIEW OF the deepening controversy
over National Health Insurance it might
be profitable for one to examine the present
area of government medicine.
Present medical operations of the Federal
government have been obscured in the
shadow of debate on the merits of the
Administration's health program. Never-
theless, important data concerning the pres-
ent activities by the government in the med-
ical field have been gathered by the Hoover
Commission on Organization of the Execu-
tive Branch of the Government.
One-sixth of the people in the United
States are at the present time eligible to
receive government medical care. Veterans
comprise more than three-forths of this
group, which is served by forty govern-
ment agencies.
These forty agencies connected with Fed-
eral medical service are not integrated in
any systematic arrangement. Frequently, in-
dividual agencies work with little knowledge
of or regard for the activities of their fellow
bureaus.
According to the Hoover Commission, "No
one has responsibility for an overall plan ...
The government is moving into uncalculated
obligations without an understanding of the
ultimate costs, of the lack of professional
manpower available to discharge them, or
of the adverse effect upon the hospital sys-
tem of the country."
It would appear that one of the most ef-
fective uses for government funds for med-
icine would be for research in the field.
However, only 4 per cent of national medical
funds are allocated in this vital area.
Corrective measures must be taken if the
one and one-quarter billion dollars of an-
nual Federal medical appropriations are
to be spent wisely.
The primary suggestion of the Hoover
Commission is that a "United Medical Ad-
ministration" be created to coordinate all
hospitals and services under the Federal
government. Jurisdiction of this new bureau
would include almost all armed services
hospitals in the United States as well as
every Veterans Administration Hospital.
Unfortunately, operations of the govern-
ment in medical activities have been hap-
hazardly coordinated, resulting in- wasted
effort as well as wasted funds. This should
be kept in mind when thinking about the
desirability of further expansion along the
lines of socialized medicine.
Meanwhile, it is vitally important that
the suggestions offered by the Hoover Com-
mission in the field of government medicine
be taken to heart by Congress and the Na-
tional Administration.
David W. Belin.
Genocide Convention
ON DECEMBER 9, 1948, the United Na-
tions General Assembly adopted a Con-
vention outlawing genocide.
On July 6, 1949, Ethiopia became the first
nation to ratify the Convention.
The question is now before all nations:
Shall the world permit "deliberate acts
committed with the intention of destroy-
ing national, ethical, racial or religious
groups"?
That is how the Convention defines geno-
cide, a word coined by Dr. Raphael Leniken
of Yale University, whose entire family was
killed by the Nazis.
Crimes considered a part of genocide are
listed by the Convention to include (1) kill-
ing of members of the group in question, (2)
causing serious bodily or mental harm to
members of the group, (3) inflicting on the
group conditions designed to bring about
its physical destruction, (4) preventing
births within the group and (5) forcibly
transferring children of the group to another
group.
In the United States, chief opposition to
ratification of the convention comes from
the American Bar Association, which
wants more time to consider the legal im-
plications of ratification, before the Amer-
ican people, in its opinion, rush headlong
into a measure about which they under-
stand little.
Speaking for the association, President
Frank E. Holman raises several objections
to ratifisation, all of which indicate poor
bogic, incorrect emphasis, or a sad lack of
foresight.
Holman falls back on the old claim that
genocide comes under the jurisdiction of
internal affairs and cannot be handled by
international measures. He has previously
advanced this argument against the Declar-
ation of Human Rights, claiming it would
interfere with domestic law and policy of
United Nations members and would not con-
tribute to world peace.
According to Holman, such measures
as the Genocide Convention are being "ac-
celerated by pressure groups who have the
urge to experiment with new social, polit-
ical, and economic concepts." Indeed, the
lawyer refers to them as "revolutionary"
measures.
Holman is right. The Genocide Convention
is revolutionary. The international outlawing
of an international crime is a new step in
world development. This is an era of revolu-
tionary change. Why shouldn't sociology
keep up with science?
But Holman and his supporters sit on that
side of the fence where "revolutionary"
means a chaotic ending to the "orderly per-
fection" of the present system.
Appalled by the thought that United
States ratification of the convention will
"supersede every city ordinance, every county
ordinance, every state law and every state
constitution," Holman fearfully envisions a
squelching of "individual rights and free-
doms" by a measure of "collectivism."
This is much the same proest cur-
rently offered against anti-discrimination
measures. What prompts such logic is a
fear that the individual will lose his right
to destroy the rights of others.
For lack of better arguments, lawyer
Holman makes a semantic attack on the
Convention. Pointing an accusing finger
at the word "genocide" for being of "coined
phrase" origin, he declares that "out of this
generality, a Pandora's box of individual
crimes is to be created."
Holman criticizes the Convention from
such a narrow, literal point of view that he
predicts tribunals trying individuals for
"genocidal" offenses of parallel importance
to a failure to patronize a restaurant having
a particular national flavor.
Holman waxes especially indignant over
the fourth crime listed by the Convention.
As a result of this provision, he warns, an
organization advocating birth control may
be punishable for genocide.
With this argument, Holman demon-
strates that he has missed the whole
point of the Convention, worrying about
possible legal entanglements not even in-
herent in the measure. It takes no re-
peated emphasis to point out that the
General Assembly is not concerning itself
with birth preventatives. It's intepest lies
in genocide-the deliberate destruction of
a whole group of people.
Holman's stand has exasperated even the
patientest of anti-genocide supporters. It
is an unfortunate indication of the state
of international thinking when prominent
and intelligent men work in opposition to
the Convention.
Trifling points and hair-splitting have no
place in matters of such tremendous im-
portance. The Senate should ratify the
Genocide Convention without hesitation. It
is only fitting that the United States outlaw
the lowest of mankind's crimes with the
highest type of ruling at its command.
-Nancy Bylan
LookingBackJ
25 YEARS AGO:
A group of restless politicos got together
in direct opposition to the Democrats and
the Republicans and founded a new party,
known as the Conference for Progressive Po-
litical Action. They hoped to nominate Sen-
ator Robert M. LaFolette of Wisconsin as
their presidential candidate. Being called
Red by most observers, the third party
barred Communists from its convention.
20 YEARS AGO:
Harry Kipke, captain of the 1925 football
team and one of the best punters ever to
dent a football, was put on the University
coaching staff.
+ * +k
10 YEARS AGO:
Lou Gehrig, who piled up the longest en-
durance record in the national pastime, was
given a royal sendoff at Lou Gehrig Appre-
ciation Day at Yankee Stadium, where he
earned the nickname "Iron Hors,"
* * *
5 YEARS AGO:
Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that he
would "reluctantly" accept the 1944 nomina-
tion for presidential candidate for a fourth
term. He said he would serve as a "good
soldier."
* * ,i'
1 YEAR AGO:
The Arabs reported the deaths of 325 Jew-
ish fighters in Palestine in the first day of
fighting after the break in the truce. Media-
tor Count Folke Bernadotte asked for a 10-
day truce in the war. Meanwhile, the UN
delayed its action on Palestine until Berna-
dotte arrives at Lake Success,
The United States kept shuttling supplies
to Berlin via the air lift, and demanded that
Russia lift the 21-day old blockade of the
German capitol. Another source reported
that the Russians had consented to allow
automobile and truck traffic into Berlin
if the vehicles had special Russian-approved
permits.
-From the Pages of The Daily.
PRESIDENT TRUMAN asserted in a press
conferc0"ce that Bernard M. Baruch,
elder statesman to two wartime Presidents,
was badly misinformed when he accused the
Administration of taking a "needless
gamble" with national security ...
The facts remain that the nation is with-
out a master mobilization plan for use if
war comes and that the National Security
Resources Board, one of the most vital de-
fense agencies, is not only without a chair-
man, but also has been stagnating since last
December. Mr. Baruch's honest criticism can
only be answered when these grave defi-.
ciencies are remedied.
-St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Drifting Down The River
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[DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN
Letters to the Editor -
The Daily accords its readers the
privilege of submitting letters for
publication in this column. Subject
to space limitations, the general pol-
icy is to publish in the order in which
they are received all letters bearing
the writer's signature and address.
Letters exceeding 300 words, repeti-
tious letters and letters of a defama-
tory character or such letters which
for any other reason are not in good
taste will not be published. The
editors reserve the privilege of con-
densing letters.
'go* , ,
Too .Late .. .
To the Editor:
Yesterday I picked up my Daily
after lunch (I suppose my delivery
boy is tired before he gets around
his route); an dthere I read that
all graduate students must pay
two dollars, procure a receipt, and
hasten to Rackham in the middle
of the civilized dinner hour to
take an aptitude test. Having
taken some six years to reach the
dubiously exalted graduate posi-
tion, and having learned that mine
is not to question why, I rushed to
Rackham, procured a Vet's chit
and dashed to the Administration
building with it clutched in my
clammy paw. There I was greeted
by the friendly remark that I was
too late, the test was all sold out.
Now I have a problem. Since the
dictum has come down that I must
be present or else be excommuni-
ated, and since I arrived to pro-
cure my receipt some six hours
early, where did I err? Things
like this almost make me doubt
the wisdom of my mentors. Please,
oh, please, sirs, find out why I'm
not allowed to take a test that I
didn't want to in the first place.
Why is such a compulsory thing
so popular that seats are sold out
six hours before the performance
and no SRO sign is out.
-Hubert Paul Malkus
by b. s. brown, co-managing editor
DREW PEARSON
ON
z. theWASHINGTON
MERKIrYGO-8ROu ND
(Copyright, 1949, by the Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
WASHINGTON - Gregarious, white-thatched Congressman Bill
Whittington of Mississippi is in a strategic spot as Chairman of
the Public Works Committee, to see that his state is not left behind
when federal funds are ladled out for water conservation, rivers and
harbors, and flood control. Mississippi ranks eighth in getting these
improvements.
However, the congressman is a strong believer in economy for
other states. When Washington, which ranks 16th, and Oregon, 18th,
and are partly arid, request water-control funds, they get nowhere
with Whittington. When Charles Hodde, Speaker of the Washington
House of Representatives, testified for the proposed Columbia Valley
Authority in the Northwest, Whittington interrupted constantly.
..Why can't your state undertake the necessary development?"...,.
"We know what you're here for," he said, "more federal
money. Why can't your state undertake the necessary develop-
ment?"
Testimony by Oregon State Senator Vernon Bull met similar
rebuffs. Whittington is a militant foe of the Columbia Valley Author-
ity, though 35 Mississippi counties benefit from the similar Tennessee
Valley Authority. So, as Bull took the stand, Whittington asked if he
had testified before the Senate. Bull replied that he had not.
Whittington: (to clerk recording testimony) "This is off the
record." (Then to Vernon Bull) "Good, then we'll get rid of you
fast. Are you in favor of this proposed CVA legislation?"
Bull: "Yes, sir, I am. I believe that the people of the Northwest-"
Whittington: (irritably) "Yes, yes, we've heard all that. Now
give us your reasons-one, two, three."
Note - Whittington's curt treatment of these witnesses
probably won't show up in the official record. As chairman, he
has complete censorship over testimony, can revise or delete his
own- remarks.
* * * *
VICE-PRESIDENTIAL HUMOR
Here is one story which Vice President Alben Barkley doesn't
tell, but which his friends tell on him.
It goes back to World War I when Barkley, then a member of
the House of Representatives from Kentucky, was touring the Allied
battle fronts with a group of Congressmen. The party included Rep.
Marvin Jones of Texas, now Chief Justice of the U.S. Court of Claims;
Rep. Charles H. Randall of California, Rep. Martin Welling of Utah,
and Barkley himself.
Arriving in London, the congressional committee found itself
booked by the U.S. Embassy for a trip into the British countryside
early the next morning. So, placing their shoes outside the door
to be shined according to standard British custom, the party
went to bed, leaving calls for 6:30 a.m.
But about 3 a.m. the irrepressible Barkley got up, telephoned
Congressman Welling's room and in a broad English accent an-
nounced:
"The carriage awaits without."
Hastily, Welling dressed, couldn't find his shoes, but rushed
down five flights of stairs of the swank Savoy Hotel in stocking
feet to ask the sleepy night clerk to find his shoes and meanwhile
to hold the carriage.
The joke furnished London much merriment and even
Welling enjoyed it. To this day, when Barkley and Marvin Jones,
Randall or Welling meet, their greeting is: "The carriage awaits
without."
* * * *
MOSCOW'S LONG MEMORY
The story can now be told of how the Soviet government schemed
to dismember Czechoslovakia following the war.
It can be told because General Helliodor Pika is dead, exe-
cuted last week by a Communist government firing squad. But
the story was not buried with him.
Pika, recently deputy chief of staff of the Czechoslovak army,
had been military attache in Moscow during the war. It was there
he hearq of the Soviet plan to reduce his country to a group of small
states, as it had been before the Masaryk-Wilson concept of a union
of the Czechs and Slovaks.
Immediately Pika got word out of Moscow to President Benes
in London. Benes promptly cabled Molotov and Stalin, asking
for an explanation.
The Soviets then started an investigation to determine who had
leaked the story, and eventually pinned down Pika as the source.
But since he was the diplomatic representative of a friendly govern-
ment, and had been one of those to warn the Russians of Hitler's
plan to attack the U.S.S.R., they could take no action against him
-at the time.
But the memory of Moscow is long. And when the Communists
took over Czechoslovakia, Pika was tried, and a few days ago sen-
tenced to be shot. The sentence was brief, but it meant a great deal
PROF. NORMAN E. NELSON, of the Uni-
versity Department of English, recently
made public his views on the National Edu-
cation Association's action in banning all
Communist teachers.
"I am against any restrictions on ac-
ademic freedom," Prof. Nelson said.
At the NEA confab in Boston, Willard
Spalding, of the University of Illinois, said,
"Are we free to advocate any damn thing
we want to no matter what it does to the
American nation! There are limits to free-
dom in a democracy."
This isn't a new problem. The University
of Michigan fired one of its instructors
eleven years ago for being a Communist.
But as long as the situation has been brought
to a climax, it should be resolved immediate-
ly.
Unfortunately, there are too many indivi-
duals who have been influenced by the
mass "witch-hunt" that is sweeping the na-
tion. Hysteria never did lend itself to clear
thinking.
I cannot agree that instructors should be
allowed to spout poison which might prove
disastrous to America. By poison, I mean
lectures calling for an overthrow of the
government.
However, I would never condemn a man
for pointing out the many shortcomings of
the American system. If this nation is to
be run by educated people, then it is their
duty to know just what is wrong with the
American way. The corrections must be
made, if the nation is to survive.
It can be argued that America has with-
stood all tempests thus far, but this is a
changing world. In order to survive, we
must change and progress accordingly.
If a man is to be called a Communist be-
cause he delivers intelligent criticism, then
Editorials published in The Michigan Daily
are written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writers only.
NIGHT EDITOR: HERB KRAVITZ
the ban should be forgotten. And somehow
I feel that that is just what would happen.
Any honest instructor should be free to
say that he thinks lobbyists should be con-
trolled so that they don't hold the Con-
gressional reins in an unrelenting grip; he
should be able to criticize the failure of the
government to bring about the immediate
demise of racial atrocities, such as exist in
KKK dominated states; he should be al-
lowed to point out that many great in-
dustries have been escaping the law, mo-
nopolizing production and setting prices,
like the du Pont concern.
Criticism of one's own system is not
synonymous with Communism. On the
contrary, it is a form of loyalty which is
surpassed by none. This country has pro-
gressed because of honest and construc-
tive criticism.
Many of the nation's school teachers have
the insight to criticize, yet are prevented
from doing so because of fear of being
branded subversive, When they no longer
criticize, the country suffers; it becomes
stagnant and ripe for violent revolution.
For when a country becomes stagnant
it fails to correct the evils which are
bound to crop up. And when the evils
become too oppressive, the changes which
should have come gradually, come all at
once. Precedent has proved that.
Students in colleges should be considered
mature enough to recognize the pretchings
of a traitor, if he happens to be a teacher.
But students should not be deprived of stim-
ulating criticism from loyal instructors.
If everyone who criticizes is to be called a
Communist, then the ban is aiding the
formation of a quagmire which could even-
tually prove disastrous. Prof. Nelson is right.
We cannot hamper academic freedom. An
infraction now may mean a complete loss
in the future.
i O LET FRIENDSHIP die away by neg-
ligence and silence, is certainly not wise.
tt is voluntarily to throw away one of the
greatest comforts of this weary pilgrimage.
-Samuel Johnson.
All notices for the Daily Official
Bulletinarc to be sent tothe Office
of the Summer Session in typewritten
form by 3:30 p.m. of the day preced-
ing its publication, except on Satur-
day when the notices should be sub-
mitted by 11:30 a.m., Room 3510 Ad-
ministration Building.
SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1949
VOL. LIX, No. 14S
Notices
The Wayne County Civil Service
Commission announces the fol-
lowing employment opportunities
with the County of Wayne: In-
structor of nurses and attendants,
psychologist, and medical technol-
ogist. Additional information may
be obtained at the Bureau of Ap-
pointments, 3528 Administration
Building.
The Public Schools of Newark,
N.J., announces examinations for
teachers in the following fields:
Kindergarten; Elementary Grades;
Elementary Music-Vocal;Second-
ary Home Economics; Teacher-
Clerk Junior Grade. Date of ex-
amination is September 1, 1949.
Applications must be filed by Aug-
ust 8, 1949.
The Public Schools of Sanger,
California, are in need of the fol-
lowing teachers: Kindergarten-
Music; Early and Later Elemen-
- r a
tary Grades; Teacher of Mentally
Retarded; Social Studies-Langu-
age; Seventh and Eighth Grade
slow groups; School Nurse.
The Public Schools of Walsen-
burg, Colorado, are in need of ele-
mentary teachers and a man to
serve as elementary principal. For
further information, call at the
Bureau of Appointments.
History Language Examinations
-French, German and Spanish
language'examinations to be given
in 1035 Angell Hall, Saturday, July
16, 10-11. Master's candidates in-
tending to take this examination
must register immediate in the
History Office, 119 Haven Hall.
Regents' Meeting: July 20, 2:00
p.m. Communications for consid-
eration at this meeting must be
in the President's hands not later
than July 12.
Fencing Classes for men in foil,
epee and saber will be held on
Monday and Tuesday afternoons
from 4:30 to 5:30 in the wrestling
room of the I.M. Building. Weap-
ons, masks and jackets are avail-
able.
Christian Science Organization
-The time of the regular Tuesday
has been changed from 7:30 to
7:00 startingnext Tuesday,3July
12.
Lectures
The Departments of Aeronauti-
cal Engineering and Engineering
Mechanics are sponsoring two lec-
tures 'on "Stresses in Aircraft
Shells." The lectures will be given
by Paul Kuhn, Structures Research
Division, National Advisory Com-
mittee for Aeronautics. The first
will be at 4:00 p.m., Friday, July
8; and the second at 11:00 a.m.,
Saturday, July 9. Both meetings
will be held in Room 445, West
Engineering Building. All who are
interested are invited to attend.
Academic Notices
Preliminary Examinations in
English: Candidates for the Ph.D.
degree in English who expect to
take the preliminary examinations
this summer are requested. to leave
their names with Dr. Ogden, 3220
to the few people who knew. It
Soviet Union."
read: "He was an enemy of the
Fifty-Ninth Year
Edited and managed by students of
the University of Michiga a der the
authority of the Board in C6ntrol of
Student Publications.
Editorial Staff
B. S. Brown ......Co-Managing Editor
Craig Wilson. Co-Managing Editor
Merle Levin ............. Sports Editor
Marilyn Jones....... Women's Editor
tion of Louise Cuyer, will be per-
formed Monday, July 11, 1949 at
8:00 p.m. in the Rackham Assem-
bly Hall.
The program: Fancies with
Ayres, (1674), D minor, G minor,
John Jenkins (1592-1678) (tran-
scribed from MS by Robert War-
ner)-strings and harpsichord.
English Songs - An Evening's
bung-J. S. Bach (1685-1750),
Digby Bell, soloist.
Madrigals: 0 occhi manza mia,
Di Lasso (c.1532-1594); Ah Do-
lente Partito, Giaches De Wert
(c.1536-1596); Ecco L'aurora con
L'aurato Fronte, Andrea Gabrieli
(c.1510-1586), (edited by Alfred
Einstein). Vocal ensemble.
Music for Brass Instruments:
BARNAB'Y
e
Mr. O'Malley has to stay under cover.
Uil heI co,-n -n omemo'neyJA nd m
There may be burglars in the house.. .
Barnaby, as I flew by your living room
win wI n.f.rr,4;, n rtrn.,r.na my
f'
I
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